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Verstappen said: “The first few laps were very hectic. They were pushing very hard at the front and behind me was Carlos with the new tires and it was very difficult to keep him behind.
“Then as the race went on we got stronger and I felt more comfortable with the balance of the car and I could take care of my tyres. Very happy with that.”
This victory gives them eight more points for the fourth championship which already seems inevitable.
There was an easy certainty about Verstappen’s victory as he clinically went about his business of dispatching his rivals from fourth on the grid, which was achieved in a hectic wet qualifying session on Friday.
He built up a lead of 13 seconds in just 10 laps, leaving little hope for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s second place was his best result of the season so far, following a difficult start to the season for the Mercedes team struggling with their new car.
Hamilton: “It’s my best result in a long time so I’m very happy and grateful, it’s a big step and improvement.
“The race was tough and if I had been further back I would have struggled to move forward, in this short effort I learned a lot about this car, so I’m excited for tomorrow.”
It was behind these two men, who set up a bitter title fight in 2021, where all the action took place.
Heading into the second half of the race, Alonso was leading a train of cars containing Sainz, Pérez, Leclerc and Norris.
The experienced Spaniard, who last week signed a new two-year contract with Aston Martin that will keep him in F1 until at least 2026, looked like he would have the measure of Sainz.
But as Alonso’s tires began to fade in the closing laps, Sainz attacked, attempting to get around the Aston Martin with three laps to go through sharp turns seven and eight.
As the two Spaniards battled wheel-to-wheel, the cars appeared to touch, perhaps this was where Alonso suffered damage causing him to retire and Pérez managed to overtake both of them to take third place.
Behind him, Sainz immediately came under attack from Leclerc, who pulled up the long back straight and tried to pass on the outside of the hairpin at the end.
Sainz raced away and the wheels of both cars touched as an unhappy Leclerc was forced off the track, but the man in a Ferrari this season overtook the man going into turn one, then Take fourth at the start of the next lap.
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